The key facts
- 96-year-old Lillian Droniak earns $12,000 a month from social media, covering her assisted living bill
- 82-year-old Viv Truran from Cardiff shares outfits with more than 800,000 followers
- We Are Social experts: older creators have loyal communities with high purchasing power
Viral fame in her 90s
96-year-old Lillian Droniak from Connecticut, known as Grandma Droniak, went viral in June after claiming her retirement home had threatened to evict her for throwing parties. The assisted living facility later confirmed the threat but reached an agreement: parties are allowed, but without alcohol. With 15 million followers, she has turned her popularity into a business: social media income covers her assisted living bill of $12,000 (about £9,000) a month. Since 2020, her grandson has helped her run the accounts — initially out of boredom. Sponsored content (partnerships with grocery and beauty brands) is monetised, and the money also goes into an education fund for her great-grandchildren. According to her, her fame means nothing at the facility: 'They don't understand, because they're not on TikTok.'
'Old age isn't so scary'
Droniak believes her appeal lies in showing young people that life doesn't end with age. 'They think old people just sit and stare at the wall, but I show that getting old isn't so bad. We embrace it, we can still have fun, and I still go to parties.'
Fashion from Cardiff
82-year-old Viv Truran from Cardiff started posting on Instagram after her husband's death — a neighbour suggested filming her colourful outfits. Now she films two videos a day from a bedroom converted into a studio, showcasing clothes, 22 pairs of glasses and two boxes of scarves. She keeps a notebook tallying followers and views — already her fifth. Strangers, mostly women in their 20s and 30s, confess to her that they 'fear old age', and she shows them that 'it's not so bad'. Truran does a couple of sponsored posts a month, prioritising local brands and charities such as Age UK, which paid her several thousand for a campaign. 'I'm very picky: I have to truly love the brand,' she says, noting that she has turned down major deals.
'Virtual grandma' and brands
Naomi Baker of influencer marketing agency We Are Social explains brands' interest in older creators: they have 'deeply established, highly loyal' communities with greater purchasing power, which 'carries a huge premium'. According to her, such content 'offers comfort in an uncertain world' and works as a 'virtual grandma' for followers.
Nonna Gracie and Brunch with Babs
85-year-old Grace Geramita, known as Nonna Gracie and dubbed 'the internet's Italian grandma', attracts millions of followers with recipe videos she has been making for decades. Having moved from Italy to the US at 18, she worked several jobs at once to raise her two daughters; now she earns more than ever. Her grandson Matthew suggested filming six years ago — Geramita initially didn't want to, as she didn't understand social media and 'doesn't speak English very well', but the videos took off. 'I always cry when people send me messages from all over the world,' she says, adding that she wants to pass on 'the tradition of gathering family around the table'. 77-year-old Barbara Costello, a former teacher, runs the Brunch with Babs accounts about cooking, cleaning and homemaking. Followers call her 'the mum I never had'; one student told her in a restaurant that her cookbook helped her get through her first year of living independently. Costello calls meeting former students at book signings the best moment: 'It's a full circle. I really can't believe this is my life.'
Image source, Grandma Droniak Grandma Droniak pays for her care home fees with the money she makes from brand deals on social media
Image source, Viv Truran Viv Truran shares her colourful outfits with her more than 800,000 followers
Image source, Nonna Gracie Nonna Gracie has been dubbed 'the internet's Italian grandma'
Image source, Barbara Costello Barbara Costello says many people see her as the mother or grandmother they never had
